On Wednesday, January 21, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava proposed a resolution that calls on the Miami-Dade County Commission to urge the Florida state legislature to ban hydraulic and acid fracking in Florida. The urging comes after a company in CollierCounty began injecting acid under high pressure into the bedrock near the Everglades to gain access to oil reserves. Currently, Florida’s oil and gas regulations make no mention of hydraulic fracking. The resolution passed unanimously.
“I am pleased that the resolution I proposed to urge the State Legislature to ban fracking in Florida and support SB166 passed unanimously. I would like to thank all those who showed their support on this issue and my colleagues on the dais for prioritizing this important initiative,” Commissioner Levine Cava said.
The resolution urges the state legislature to pass SB166, a bill filed by Senator Dwight Bullard (D-CutlerBay) and Senator Darren Soto (D-Kissimmee), that the House will consider later this year. SB166 would ban hydraulic fracking throughout the state. The County’s support for a fracking ban came on the same day that the Commission approved new plans to tackle sea level rise, a historic act, led by Commissioner Rebeca Sosa and Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin.
“I believe today marks an important moment for Miami-Dade’s environment and well-being. The County’s passing of this resolution proves once again that the people of our state want to protect our natural resources. Just last year, Floridians overwhelmingly approved Amendment 1, which called for the protection of our most precious lands and drinking water resources. Today, the representatives of the residents of Miami-Dade County voted to support a ban on fracking and to adopt new ways to battle sea level rise,” Commissioner Levine Cava said. “Now we must focus on assuring that Senate Bill 166, proposed by Senators Dwight Bullard and Darren Soto, is implemented. This unstudied process can pose serious and detrimental health risks to our residents, our agriculture and our state’s livelihood. We cannot risk the state of our drinking water, something we need to survive, to search for oil when better options exist. Our County has taken a major step in urging the legislature to ban this potentially dangerous practice and I sincerely hope that the state legislature will hear the will of the people and protect our precious natural resources.”
The Floridian Aquifer is the source of drinking water for nearly 10 million Floridians. The effects of acid fracking in highly permeable bedrock are unstudied and could threaten our environment, the quality of our drinking water and the economy.